Promise!

Chapter 107, Promotion

After returning, Zhuang Jin found Chen Yun and told her what had happened.

"I can handle this matter. Don't worry, Yunniang, just wait for me to come back." He gave a brief explanation and went straight to find his immediate superior, District Guard Luan Zhenyun.

……

"...Lord Luan, this is what happened." Zhuang Jin knew that Luan Zhenyun, who was old and just wanted to live a carefree life, would never want to cause trouble. He must be unhappy that he took the initiative to come to him, especially for such a big matter.

Therefore, after he finished explaining the situation, he added three more sentences: "I luckily broke through the Seven Classics yesterday! Miao Lun is your subordinate! This matter is critical, I will go to the Shen family headquarters immediately!"
The first sentence shows the weight.

The second sentence is that Miao Lun is your subordinate. Whether actively or passively, willingly or unwillingly, you are involved.

There's another deeper meaning. If Miao Lun gets into trouble under your command, are you sure his brother won't take his anger out on you? Can you just avoid it if you want?

The third sentence expresses my attitude. Whether you go or not, I will go to the Shen family headquarters... However, when the higher-ups take inventory afterwards and find that you, their immediate superior, are not present at such a major event, they may think that you are derelict in your duty and will be punished.

Upon hearing this, Luan Zhenyun narrowed his eyes, and his face showed no emotion.

Originally, when Zhuang Jin came over and told him about this, he was surprised and extremely unhappy because of Zhuang Jin's ability to cause trouble. But now that things have come to this, it is not about what he likes, but about how to deal with it now and what to do in the best interest of himself.

After Zhuang Jin's three sentences, he understood the pros and cons clearly. He knew he couldn't avoid it and had to get involved. He also had an inclination in his mind, but it also depended on whether this prospective teammate was willing to join him.

"What do you think is the most important thing now?" Luan Zhenyun asked.

Zhuang Jin knew this was a test for himself, so he answered without hesitation, "Quick, quickly, before Brother Miao Lun and Miao Shao can react, determine the nature of this matter!"

This matter is just like a coup d'état. The key is to act quickly and not give Brother Miao Lun any chance to mobilize forces. It is best to put an end to this matter before the other party knows about it.

Luan Zhenyun nodded slightly, put on his clothes, and stood up suddenly: "Let's go to the Law Enforcement Department!"

When he was young, he was also a man who was brave enough to take on responsibilities. After assessing and approving Zhuang Jin, he made a prompt decision.

——Just as Zhuang Jin said, Miao Lun was his subordinate. Now that he is dead, Brother Miao Shao will be somewhat angry. They are in the same boat, so he will have to choose to stand with Zhuang Jin. Moreover, things have already happened, so he has to get involved anyway. He might as well gain some value and make Zhuang Jin owe him a favor.

Zhuang Jin stood up suddenly, clasped his fists and said, "Thank you very much, sir. I am sorry for causing you trouble in this matter... I will definitely remember your kindness today."

"Alright, you've finished talking!" Luan Zhenyun cursed with a smile, paused slightly, and said, "I'm much older than you. If you don't mind, just call me Brother Luan!"

……

The two of them went out, only to find Chen Yun waiting outside: "Husband, I know some people in our headquarters, maybe I can help."

"They say husbands and wives are like birds in the forest, each taking flight when disaster strikes. But who knew there are also those who support each other, stick together through thick and thin, and never abandon each other... With a wife like this, what more could a husband ask for?"

Zhuang Jin felt sentimental, but he also knew that this was not the time to think too much, so he agreed and went to explain some things to Qian Wende and others. Then he asked Luan Zhenyun to take the two pieces of evidence, the black goat and Miao Lun's body, and he left quickly with Chen Yun in his arms.

……

Arriving at the Shen family headquarters, Chen Yun left to look for people they knew who might be able to help, while Zhuang Jin and Luan Zhenyun went straight to the Law Enforcement Department.

I went to the Law Enforcement Department and told the on-duty director Zhao Bin about the matter.

Zhao Bin listened with a somewhat lukewarm attitude, nodded and said: "Come here, ask Miao Shaomiao to come over and guard it!"

Zhuang Jin and Luan Zhenyun looked at each other and both felt something was wrong. Their plan was to be quick, to determine the nature of the matter before Miao Shao could react and make a move... But at this time, Zhao Bin sent someone to inform Miao Shao of the news and invite him over, which disrupted the plan.

"Director Zhao, this is not right. Shouldn't we ask the coroner to perform an autopsy, verify the evidence, and determine the nature of the case as soon as possible?" Luan Zhenyun said.

Zhuang Jin didn't say anything, but frowned slightly. He had a vague feeling that Zhao Bin seemed to have something against him and was deliberately making things difficult for him.

"In matters like this, we can't just accept one side of the story. As for verifying the evidence and determining the nature of the case, it's not too late to invite the relatives of the person involved to come over. This is also the proper procedure."

Zhao Bin answered in a formulaic manner, even with a hint of "you are teaching me how to do things".

——In fact, this is indeed the case. If Zhuang Jin and Luan Zhenyun were not the same as him, with the same seven classics, they would not have expressed this meaning implicitly, but would have said it directly.

The reason for this is that Zhuang Jin’s feeling is correct... he is just taking sides.

Zhao Bin has a certain relationship with Miao Lun's brother, they can talk to each other and they can be considered ordinary friends. Subconsciously, he is also a little jealous of a genius like Zhuang Jin.

However, these will not affect the key position. Another more important point is Zhuang Jin's identity: the martial artists recruited from outside are different from the martial artists recommended by their connections in the past. In the past, martial artists like Zhuang Jin who were recruited came in at a low level, which was not a big deal. Now the strongest ones like Zhuang Jin have broken through the Seven Classics, which may affect the interests of these vested interests... Since they have different backgrounds, they naturally tend to favor Miao Shao.

If these are all inducements, there is another point that is not very important but has a great impact on emotions.

Zhao Bin, the most promising and beloved son, broke through the Four Classics at the age of twenty-one. Last month, he went to the north of the city to collect military merits and take advantage of the "Military Loan", and then he was killed by the Medicine King Gang who did not follow martial ethics.

The Yaowang Gang was the direct murderer. He couldn't do anything and had no way to vent his anger, so he took his anger and resentment out on those who had benefited last month and left the mess behind... Zhuang Jin, this was where he walked into the trap.

All I can say is, you can’t reason with a father who has lost his son and is now a bit paranoid and sick!
Human kindness is hard to come by and has a limit, but human malice is easy to come by and has no limit. If you don't like someone, you won't need many reasons and will hold a grudge against them for inexplicable reasons.

"This..." Luan Zhenyun was speechless. There was nothing wrong with Zhao Bin's actions. He was just following the rules.

Seeing the situation had come to this, Zhuang Jin did not dwell on it and simply stood up and asked Luan Zhenyun to look at the two pieces of evidence, the black goat and Miao Lun's body, while he left.

"Zhuang Zhenshou, where are you going? As someone involved in this incident, I'm afraid I can't leave at this time."

"I can't leave? I'm a victim, not a suspect. How can Director Zhao interfere with me, a victim, without verifying the evidence?"

Since Zhuang Jin knew this person's position was biased and not out of kindness, he wasn't being polite. "As for where to go, I'm not afraid to tell Director Zhao that I'm going to be promoted to a security guard... Given Director Zhao's attitude, I doubt this matter can be handled impartially. After being promoted to a security guard, I will exercise my right to request that several directors of the law enforcement department jointly review this case."

Since he couldn't win this person's support, he didn't harbor any illusions and showed his strength directly, letting the other party know that he was not a soft persimmon that could be squeezed and flattened, and that he would not dare to act recklessly.

Zhuang Jin said this without hesitation, and said to Luan Zhenyun, "Master Luan, please look after the two pieces of evidence to prevent me from making any tampering."

Is there a third person present? This was clearly a sign of concern for Zhao Bin. After Luan Zhenyun nodded in agreement, he left without even looking at Zhao Bin. "You..."

Ever since he broke through the Seven Classics and became the Director of the Law Enforcement Department, it had been a long time since he had encountered someone who was so disrespectful to him. Zhao Bin was angry in his heart, but he could only suppress it.

Just like before, he used the rules to pressure Zhuang Jin and Luan Zhenyun and sent people to invite Miao Shao. Now Zhuang Jin went to register for promotion, exercised his rights, and requested a joint review by multiple directors... This was also an open rule!

Furthermore, the Medicine King Gang was now facing a formidable enemy and was in need of personnel. The Shen family would welcome the promotion of their subordinates... He could not and did not dare to stop it.

"hehe!"

Zhao Bin looked at Zhuang Jin's departing figure, his face darkening as he narrowed his eyes. "Are you applying for a joint trial by multiple directors? Don't you even consider whose territory this is?"

If we say that at the beginning he just wanted to take sides and cause trouble for Zhuang Jin for various reasons, then after Zhuang Jin was not like those people before who meekly swallowed their anger and dared to talk back, disobey and confront him, the conflict escalated and he completely stood on Miao Shao's side.

"Young people should be taught a lesson, to let this person know that the Seven Classics are not the same as the Seven Classics." Zhao Bin decided to go and say hello right away, as a favor to Miao Shao.

This is about taking sides. Luan Zhenyun stands on Zhuang Jin's side, and naturally there are people like Zhao Bin who stand on Miao Shao's side for various reasons.

……

Zhuang Jin left the Law Enforcement Department and went straight to apply for the assessment, preparing to complete the promotion first.

——Breaking through the Seven Classics but not registering for promotion means you are essentially still a servant. This is different from being registered and truly promoted to a guard.

This procedural change can give him a lot of weight, such as what Luan Zhenyun told him and said before, requesting multiple directors to jointly review the case.

"I have an acquaintance in the General Affairs Department, Yue Song, who might be able to do something about it... Xing Yan might not be in the district headquarters, or he might be stuck somewhere, so it's always a good idea to be prepared."

Yes, before coming from the medicinal fields outside the city, Zhuang Jin told Qian Wende to go to Dongqiaowu in the north of the city to find Xing Yan and ask for help.

Even a lion must use all its strength to fight a rabbit. After he killed Miao Lun, he despised him strategically, but tactically, he did make all possible preparations, trying to unite all possible people. Naturally, he would not let go of Xing Yan, who had a good relationship with the Seven Classics and the senior members of the Shen family.

Successfully pass the test of the 'Glass Test Puppet', get the certificate, come to the General Affairs Department for promotion, and register to replace your badge.

When Yue Song saw the evidence, he was completely dumbfounded: "Brother Zhuang, are you...really seventy-seven?"

Qi Jing, that's the level of director under a department, in his eyes, they are all big shots.

"It was a fluke." Zhuang Jin nodded slightly.

"God damn luck? And, if I remember correctly, you said the same thing last time, right? Why is it that only you can be lucky? When can I also be lucky?"

Yue Song's complaints were almost flooding the screen, showing how shocked he was. However, he finally realized that this must be true. Take this certificate with black and white seal, for example. Who could or dared to forge it?

He felt extremely complicated. He didn't expect that in just a few months, Zhuang Jin had changed so much. He calmed down, diligently replaced Zhuang Jin's waist badge, and explained the various benefits of being a one-pattern guard.

The basic monthly allowance was increased to fifty taels of silver, and the standards of food, clothing, housing and transportation were also improved.

Clothing: Seven sets of standard white robes for guards. In addition to the three sets of regular clothes for himself and his wife each season, an additional clothing allowance of 30 taels of silver will be provided each season.

Food: On top of the small kitchen, there is an additional 10 taels of silver per month for food allowance, and one pound of exotic beast meat at the entry level of meat refining every month.

Accommodation: The conditions in the Shen family headquarters, the medicinal fields outside the city, and the streets are different, but it must be a house with two entrances and at least five rafters.

Travel: You can take a sedan chair carried by four people.

In addition, there is another major change: seven classics, one pattern guard, the Shen family will be equipped with a small servant and a small maid!

——Before, at the beginning of each month, the chores would change, and there would be servants to help move things, but they would leave after the move was completed. Now, they are equipped with private slaves and maids!
In this world, servants are divided into two types. One is similar to the maids in the outer courtyard, who sign a contract and are more like being employed. The other is similar to the maids in the inner courtyard, who have a contract bought... The slaves and maids equipped with the level of one-pattern guards are the latter type, and the Shen family bears the employment costs.

"As far as I know, there are quite a few servants in the Shen family, even servants, who privately hire slaves and maids. However, when you are promoted to the level of guard, the Shen family will take the initiative to provide slaves and maids. This naturally represents a different meaning!"

Zhuang Jin understood that this was the official recognition from the Shen family. From now on, you are qualified to be served. To put it more bluntly, it is the official recognition that you have entered the privileged class and the rentier class.

From servant to houseboy, and finally to guard, each step of his promotion, along with the changes in his benefits, made him truly understand the nature of how this world works: 'In this world of extraordinary power, authority and status are power, but the power that belongs to oneself can also be transformed into authority and status. As one climbs the path of martial arts, gaining greater power will naturally bring more authority and higher status... All of this is the allure of power!'

"I've gradually evolved from cannon fodder and consumables to a foundation that can't be easily sacrificed, or an important chess piece. As long as I continue to improve, one day I'll jump off the chessboard and become the master!"

Zhuang Jin thought about this, but quickly suppressed it. Knowing that now was not the time to dwell on it, he explained his situation with Miao Lun and asked, "Director Yue, do you have any connections here? Can you help with this matter?"

If Zhuang Jin was still a Six Classics warrior, Yue Song would probably avoid him immediately after hearing that he had killed Miao Lun, a Six Classics warrior with a Seven Classics brother. But now, Zhuang Jin is also a Seven Classics warrior, at the guard level, so the situation is naturally different.

This is also the reason why Zhuang Jin had to wait until he was assessed and promoted before he told Yue Song about this matter and asked for his help - if you want people to place bets, you have to give them confidence, otherwise how could they trust you with their heads down?

"Zhuang Jin, at such a young age, has already mastered the Seven Classics. This kind of talent... I'm afraid that Seven Classics, Eight Classics, or Nine Classics are not Zhuang Jin's limit. In the future, Ten Classics, Twelve Classics, and even Qi Condensation may not be impossible! On the other hand, I've also heard that Brother Miao Lun is now in his fifties and has only mastered the Seven Classics..."

In fact, if it were just that, Yue Song still wouldn't dare to get involved. There was another equally important point - Zhuang Jin's reputation: Chang Hetong helped Zhuang Jin, and Zhuang Jin sold him a Shuluo Pill at a discount. Later, when Chang Hetong got into trouble, it was said that he didn't even want the remaining money. The reputation of "repaying a hundredfold" had already spread. Ping Yongfeng also helped Zhuang Jin, and now he has broken through the three scriptures. It is said that it was the Lotus Grass sent by Zhuang Jin... Judging from Zhuang Jin's past, those who helped him were rewarded.

——To put it bluntly, you have potential and are grateful. Only when you play these two cards together will people be willing to trust you, help you, and invest in you. It is useless to play them alone.

"Although getting involved in this kind of thing will definitely offend Miao Shao, but what does it all come without a price? You're always timid and afraid of everything, you deserve to never have eight dishes to eat in your life... Damn it, I'm done!"

Yue Song thought about this and gritted his teeth. "Master Zou Qingfeng, the Eighth Young Master's long-servant, is at the Six Classics level. I have some connections with him, so I can help to connect them...Brother Zhuang, you've also come at a good time. This also involves an opportunity..."

Changsui is a special position, dedicated to serving a certain person and doing chores for the master. His status is higher than that of a servant, but the power of life and death belongs to the master. Correspondingly, he is also regarded as a confidant, representing the master's face in the outside world. Don't look at this Changsui Zou as only a Six Classics, any Seven Classics guard outside will give him face when they see him.

"Originally, I wouldn't be able to do anything with just my face and empty words, but Brother Zhuang, you have that beast treasure that has reached the perfect level of skin smoothing. If you're willing to give it to me, I can give it a try... I can't guarantee the chance, but I think this matter shouldn't be difficult to resolve..."

……

(End of this chapter)